Every year, we reflect on the moments that made us smile from ear to ear, or kept us gripped to our screens, in our annual Year in Search. It was a year in which we were affected by the death of a beloved comedian, and watched news unfold about a horrific plane crash and a terrifying disease. We were captivated by amazing goals, and had our fun with digital birds, a bucket of ice, and goat simulators.Watch our video to rediscover the events, people and topics that defined 2014:

All the world’s a stage
Nothing brings people together like sports, and 2014 had one of the biggest athletic events in recent memory. The World Cup in Brazil had its fair share of unforgettable moments and had everyone glued to their TVs and mobile devices all summer. From Luis Suarez’s bite heard around the world, to Tim Cahill’s magical goal vs. Netherlands, to Germany’s incredible run to their fourth title, the competition certainly lived up to its reputation and topped the charts.

Into the unknown
How could a plane just vanish? In the wake of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, that question propelled the mystery to the global trends charts. As the investigation continued on the ground and online, people stayed hopeful for a happy ending despite the dim odds; searches for “mh370 found” outnumbered searches for “mh370 lost.”

Goodbye, genie
“You're only given a little spark of madness, you mustn't lose it.” The passing of beloved comedian and actor Robin Williams shook the world, bringing many people online to search for more information and to remember—and putting Williams in the #3 spot on our Australian trends charts. There was also an uptick in searches related to depression and mental health in the days following his death. People revisited his iconic roles in movies like Aladdin and Dead Poets Society and found solace in gifs and memes that captured Williams’ spirit.

On our Year in Search site you can take an in-depth look at the stories that made 2014 unforgettable. From the rise of the selfie, to understanding if we search for “how” more than “why,” each chapter shares a glimpse into the people and events that drove this year forward.

We've also made it easier to find the trending topics of the year directly from Google Search. For the first time, a simple search for [google 2014] will give you a peek at what made the top trending lists from around the world. And you can follow more insights from the year with #YearInSearch. So take a moment to appreciate what this year had to offer. It’ll be 2015 before you know it.

Trending Searches

1. World Cup

2. Malaysia Airlines

3. Robin Williams

4. Charlotte Dawson

5. Phil Hughes

6. Jennifer Lawrence

7. Schapelle Corby

8. MyGov

9. Ebola

10. Flappy Bird

News items of 2014 (Trending)

1. MH370 News

2. Peaches Geldof Dead

3. Cyclone Ita

4. Michael Schumacher News

5. Scottish Independence

6. Alex From Target

7. Ukraine News

8. Lunar Eclipse

9. Ebola Outbreak

10. Philae Lander

How to… (Most Searched)

1. Draw

2. Kiss

3. Crochet

4. Meditate

5. Knit

6. Pronounce

7. Sing

8. Twerk

9. Screenshot

10. Whistle

What is… ? (Most Searched)

1. Ebola

2. ALS

3. Love

4. Gluten

5. Tinder

6. ISIS

7. Depression

8. Bitcoin

9. Cilantro

10. Tumblr

Aussies (Trending)

1. Schapelle Corby

2. Todd Carney

3. Iggy Azalea

4. Margot Robbie

5. Rolf Harris

6. Torah Bright

7. Nick Kyrgios

8. Sia

9. Ian Thorpe

10. Alex Mckinnon

Global People (Trending)

1. Jennifer Lawrence

2. Michael Schumacher

3. Oscar Pistorius

4. Jules Bianchi

5. Jared Leto

6. Jordan Belfort

7. Renee Zellweger

8. Lorde

9. Dan Bilzerian

10. Conchita Wurst

Recipes (Most Searched)

1. Pancake Recipe

2. Chicken Recipe

3. Thermomix Recipes

4. Slow Cooker Recipes

5. Chocolate Cake Recipe

6. Quiche Recipe

7. Scone Recipe

8. Pizza Dough Recipe

9. Carbonara Recipe

10. Paleo Recipes

Who is… ? (Most Searched)

1. Jesus

2. ISIS

3. Banksy

4. Redfoo

5. Ultron

6. JOB

7. Siri

8. God

9. Allah

10. HowToBasic

Where is… ? (Most Searched)

1. Sochi

2. MH370

3. Perth

4. Glasgow

5. Gallipoli

6. Dubai

7. Stonehenge

8. Bali

9. Uluru

10. Pompeii

Digital / Internet Lingo (Trending)

1. Tinder

2. Neknominate

3. Goat Simulator

4. Ello

5. Bitcoin

6. Doge

7. Pixelmon

8. Vines

9. Dogecoin

10. Flipagram

Trending Searches: What was hot in 2014? The "trending" queries are the searches that had the highest spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2014 as compared to 2013.Most Searched:What topped Google’s charts? The "most searched" queries are the most popular terms for 2014—ranked in order by volume of searches.

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